Renewed faith in pub management

Sunday 14 October 2007 23:00 BST

Sometimes, just sometimes, a place comes along which restores your faith in the art of running a pub. Pickwick's - one of Chiswick's last independent bars - was apparently saved some years ago from being turned into a restaurant by a rather wealthy philanthropic regular who has kept it pretty much the same since. Inside the place is vaguely reminiscent in ambience of an understated German or Dutch bar from 1975, complete with wooden beamed walls and ceilings.

There doesn't appear to be any food on offer and the beer selection isn't amazing, but these things didn't matter. Some of the 'stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap' chains should take some lessons from the welcome people received that night - warm and genuine, not just reserved for the regulars, but to greet new faces too. On our first visit, the owner even cleared space by the (real) open fire for us to warm up after arriving soaked from the cold winter rain; it was so cosy, it almost felt like we were in someone's front room in the country. This one certainly stands out from the rather Identikit pubs and bars in W4.